Agony
by practical release
Summary: After a less than stellar (and short) criminal career in Metropolis, maybe she can grow her criminal empire in Gotham? Never enough Agony to go around.


"Looks like you're finally waking up huh?" A voice says beside her. Her ears ringing as her vision slowly returns. Her left eye stings, forcing itself to remain shut. It was night, but lights flash in her face; moving away at variable speeds. She was in a car.

"You still there Agatha, or did Mercy really beat you stupid?" The voice said again. Images of that woman flowed through her mind. A simple robbery wasted by some driver, bodyguard or whatever the hell the bitch was. Her bruised ribs didn't allow her to breath in to deeply without the threat of coughing up a lung.

"Where are we?" Agatha said, trying to get her bearings. The streets were dingy with more homeless than residents. Garbage in piles and cardboard boxes stacked like hotels. No question where she was now.

"We're in Gotham. I don't think we can take on Metropolis just yet. You still have to get used to those new powers you little punching bag you." He cues and punches her arm slightly. She hides the fact that it hurts more than it should. All her body hurts, but her pride would never admit it. It was supposed to be so simple she thought. All she had to do was steal Lex Luthor's car and grab some kryptonite. Selling that on the black market would get her a foothold in Metropolis, but that damned Mercy happened.

"Hey let's stop by the Iceberg Lounge, celebrate our homecoming." He says. Agatha's vision returned. Her eyes no longer burn nor do her ribs hurt as much. She could clearly see her best friend Malcom. The self-proclaimed brains of the 'operation'. Chiseled jaw, tanned skin and a wicked smile. All the things needed for a con man, unfortunately she was the opposite. Her forever pale skin, flat chest and extremely bad attitude made her the muscle-ish.

"Can we just…not Malcom. I aint in the mood for looking at people." Agatha said breathing in the stale Gotham air. She hated the streets of Gotham. The never ending trash on the sidewalks mixed with the homeless littered through it like rats.

"Don't be a stick in the mud Aggie. Look maybe Metropolis was a little too high up for us. Got all those supers around and shit. So hear me out. We make a name for ourselves in Gotham, get chummy with the rogues here and start an empire. Either way we are here." Malcom said and park the car.

"No use trying to argue about it now" Agatha said opening the door; looking at the extremely long line with many, many unsavory people in it. Nothing she couldn't handle, but tonight was not the night to do anything, but sleep. At least that was what she wanted.

"So what's the plan Malcom, just going to stroll right on in?" Agatha said sarcastically. The soreness of her ribs completely gone now and she breathed in deeply. She hated how smog ridden Gotham was, but she couldn't deny she missed it. It was home, a bad home with bad memories, but a home no less.

"That's exactly what I plan to do. But first let's start a little chaos." Malcom said and cracked his knuckles. Agatha couldn't help but laugh. Malcom as many things, but a fighter wasn't one of them. He was vain and fickle and rather give up than scratch his pretty face. He walked to the middle of the line, causing a very large man to grab his shoulder.

"Back of the fucking line pretty boy!" he screamed, obviously drunk. Malcom quickly raised his hands and laughed weakly.

"Right right, my bad" He said softly as the big guy let his shoulder go. He moved away while holding something in his hand. He stole brute's wallet, but he was far from done. After emptying it of its contents he clumsily slid it back in the man's back pocket. At the same time, he nudged the equally big guy behind the first's hands up.

Before he could be called out on his scheme the first guy noticed the guy behind him with his hands up, and after checking the contents of his now empty wallet; he decided to fight. Of course he punched the wrong person and before long a brawl was started. Malcom dodging punches and relieving the combatants of their wallets. Tossing them on the ground as he took credit cards and cash.

"Good job; you robbed a bunch of meatheads, now what." Agatha said with a smirk. Her hands resting on hips. A part of her wanted to jump into the brawl and test her new abilities now that she felt 100% percent better.

"Now my flat chested friend. We simply walk in." Malcom said waving the cash in his hands like a fan and moving to the bouncer.

"Not flat, aerodynamic." Agatha huffed and followed him to the front of whatever the line had become now. Before the bouncer could say anything, Malcom stuffed what looked like a few hundred dollars in man's hand. Without a word he moved to the side, letting the two in.

A giant bar covered in ice, a casino, live entertainment and VIP rooms. The iceberg has just about everything a rogue needed to lay low and enjoy a night out.

"I'm going to find us a table, go order some beers or something." Malcom commanded. Annoyed by this Agatha opened her mouth, but he was already gone. Breathing in deeply she shook her head and walked to the bar.

"What can I get yous" said the more than musclebound bartender. She took note that just about everyone working there was incredibly gorgeous or very muscular. Definitely not a place she wanted to start a bar fight.

"I'll take a…" Before she could finish she heard a loud squeal.

"Wow its really you! Whatdayaknow." Said a very loud woman dressed in a jester costume. "The broad's drinks are on me!" She said and wrapped her arm around a very agitated Agatha.

"How do you know me exactly?" As much as she wanted to be excited over some recognition on the first day back home, she knew better than to trust Harley Quinn. She heard stories of her and her Mr. J. Things Agatha would care not to remember.

"Oh you don't know? You're all over VillianStar!" She said and laughed. She noticed more eyes on her and people pulling out their phones. "Here check it out."

Of course she didn't need to see it, she lived it.

* * *

Malcolm sat in a bush; his job was done. He tracked down where Lex was going for the weekend and tailed his car. Superman was in his space station and Steel was out saving a bank, which meant Metropolis for the most part of hero free.

The plan was a simple smash in grab. She beat the hell out of the chick driver, hold up Lex and grab the kryptonite, easy. Malcom gave her the signal Agatha ran. The driver must have noticed because she walked right out of the car.

'Easy' Agatha thought as she ran to the driver, only it became not so easy. Before she knew it she was on the ground, her chest feeling like it was on fire. She quickly rose to her feet, only to be punched right in her temple, making her stumble back. Dizzy, she noticed Lex Staring out of his window with a smirk on his face. Before she could jump at him, she felt an arm go around her neck and punches drilling into her side.

"Okay no" Agatha forced out through the pain, head-butting the female driver with the back of her head, knocked her grip lose. Agatha turned around and punched her in the jaw, but something was wrong. Instead of knocking the bitch down, her hand hurt, and she was still standing.

'This was a mistake' Agatha thought as she began to get pummeled across the parking lot. Before long she was being held up by her shirt as Lex walked out of his car.

"Mercy that's enough." She heard him say Agatha drifted back and forth out of consciousness. "You really thought you could steal from me. Do you have any idea who I am?" He said softly, fixing the cuff links on his jacket. Agatha's head swayed and her eyes flickered. "I don't think she is listening." He said and Mercy pulled her hair hard, making Agatha stare directly at him.

"Let me guess you thought you had this all planned out didn't you. You and that boy hiding in the bushes over there." He said and turned his head, noticing a now running Malcom. Lex watched as he ran away, his jacket only opening slightly, with something shining on his belt. A tube of some sort. She focused as hard as she could on it. That had to be where the Kryptonite was. Using all her strength she rose her foot and smashed down on Mercy's. Was it childish; maybe, but effective. As Mercy's grip loosened, Agatha dashed forward, grabbing the tube from a distracted Lex belt and fell forward. A cracking sound is what she heard under her, only after a surge of pain.

"Oh you really are an idiot aren't you." Agatha heard Lex say as she rolled over, the liquid burning a hole through her shirt and now through her chest. She screamed in agony for what felt like hours. Mercy went to pick her up, but Agatha gripped her arm, her nails digging into her flesh. She heard Mercy yell before letting her go.

She stared into the sky as the pain slowly consumed her. Just before the darkness could take her she heard a car skid dangerously close.

* * *

"Wow someone recorded all that?" Agatha said extremely annoyed now. Listening to people laugh and yelp at different moments of her beating in the video.

"Don't let it get you down sweetheart, Mercy is not exactly the easiest nut to crack. Believe me I know." The Jester said and flexed her arm. Agatha rather not admit it but she noticed definition under the skin-tight suit.

"So what you just going to laugh at me or something?" Agatha said and rose from the bar. Having an entire building laughing at her was not what she considered a homecoming party. Before she could turn to leave she felt the Jester's hand on her shoulder.

"Oh don't be so sensitive, look you got a mean right hook kid. Tell ya what, I need a hand knocking over a store for Mr. J. The cat is who knows where and Red is in Arkham."

'The cat? Red? Just what the hell was she talking about' Agatha thought. Before she could say anything Malcom chose to speak for her.

"Yea Agatha, go for it. No time like the present." Malcom said and handed Agatha a drink.

"Yea what fuck boy said." Harley nonchalantly said making the both Agatha and Malcom choke on his drinks. First a chuckle, then a full blown laugh escaped Agatha's mouth. "Yea, fuck it why not?" Agatha said and sat her drink down.

"Oh this is going to be so much fun rookie." Harley said and pulled Agatha with her leaving a stunned Malcom behind. Before she noticed she was on top of a building, listening to Harley talking about the score and making Agatha her side kick in training or something. Agatha couldn't care less what the jester was saying, just focusing on the plan. Just a simple smash and grab. A few jewels and run for it. If anything this small heist was nothing, but word would get around that she did a gig with Harley Quinn, which is a solid boost to her less than stellar reputation.

After scoping the area for a while, they went in. Harley quickly went to work on the lock, picking it easily.

"Wow, your pretty decent at this." Agatha said and walked into the store behind her.

"Yea kitten would have opened it in an instant though." She heard the Harley say before picking the locks on the jewelry cases.

"Oh you mean Catwoman." Agatha said remembering a story she read about her being a master thief. Not waiting for a response she started to grab whatever she could fit into her pockets. Not the cleanest of thefts, but for the most part it was successful, that is until it wasn't.

"So what is your name by the way." She heard the Jester say as she continued to steal.

"Agatha" The pale woman and put a few bracelets on her wrist and turning to the door.

"Gotcha, oh and sorry Aggie." Before she knew it, Agatha felt something heavy smash into the back of her head.

Agatha fell to her knees, holding the back of her head hard. Fighting the urge to pass out, noticing the Jester run; leaving her on the ground. She felt something dripping from her nose and put her hand under it.

"Don't be clear, don't be clear, don't be clear…" Agatha chanted to herself, noticing the crimson liquid drip on her hands. She was relieved and now very mad. She knew that Harley couldn't be trusted, but like an idiot she did it anyway. She slowly rose to her feet and stumbled out of the door, noticing a kid standing in the street wearing an orange vest and green pants.

"Okay, am I losing it or is there some metro kid in the middle of the street." She said under her breath.

"Funny, coming from a thief." She heard him say and run at her, punching her right in the stomach.

Agatha's eyes went wide, the punch digging into her much more than Mercy's ever could. She grabbed a hold of his arm, and like with Mercy it began to burn. The boy winced a little before jumping back, holding his arm in his other hand.

"How do you like that brat." Agatha said between coughs as she tried to stand strait.

"Annoying." The boy said and put his hand on his back, slowly drawing a sword.

"Are you fucking real" Agatha said and turned to run only to walk face first into something huge. That huge being a rather burly man in a bat costume.

"Oh come on, it's my first day back and I run into the fucking Batman!" Agatha said and tried to throw a punch at his jaw, only to be caught in his hand. He didn't say anything as he held her fist in his. His grip like iron.

"Be careful batman, her hand releases some chemical that burned me right through my suit." The boy said. Noticing Batman turn his head she swiped at his face with her other hand. This time he dodged back instead of trying to catch her open hand.

"Alright, I got the upper hand Batman. This is how it's going…" Before She could finish she saw a few metallic balls roll under her feet. Looking over she saw the boy pull his cape over his eyes, then Batman doing the same. She leaned down to pick one of them up, only for a very loud bang and an explosion of light enveloped her. Her senses were on high alert. All she could see was white, and he sense of hearing was gone. All she could do was feel the ground come up and smash into her face.

She felt movement again, someone was picking her up and putting her into something; moving at an extremely high speed. She tried to focus on the vibration, the feelings, but everything was happening so fast.

It felt like hours she in the back seat of whatever she was in. An argument was happening in the front seat, most likely from the Bat and she assumed Robin. She could hear sounds but couldn't comprehend what was being said.

More time past before she felt hands on her again. She struggled under the evasive hands before being thrown into a chair. Just how much time passed before her senses returned to her she wondered. A single light in a dark room. One table and a man sitting on the other side with a very large black suited man in the shadows. The smell of black coffee and cigarettes. She knew exactly where she was.

"Where is Quinn?" She heard the man sitting at the desk say. She could tell from his voice that he was exhausted.

"I don't know, the circus?" Agatha said putting on his best poker face. For all she knew that's exactly where Harley would have gone after ditching her. Her anger seemed to rev up again at the thought of the jester.

"This isn't a game!" the detective said and slammed his fist into the table. She hated to admit to herself that she was startled, but didn't flinch. Giving her best nonchalant impression, she yawned and put her hands behind her head and finishing up with a roll of the eyes.

A hand went on the shoulder of the agitated detective and he rose. Agatha only tracked him with her eyes as he walked out of the room, leaving the black figure in the darkness. He walked slowly into the light of the lamp.

"I won't ask a second time Cruz, where is she?". The voice of the bat seemed to echo around the room. For someone who didn't raise his voice, it seemed to reverberate all around her. All she could do is stare into the nothingness of his eye sockets. The sound of his voice being drowned out by her own heartbeat.

 _How does he know my name?_ "Am I supposed to be scared or something, you looked me up on Facebook." She said trying to hide the tremble in her voice. He continued to stare at her unmoving. _Why Am I scared of him!_ "Don't think I'm scared of you Batman. Your lucky my hands are cuffed." Her voice began to crack. He continued to state at her unmoving. _What the hell I don't know where she is!_ "What the hell I don't know where she is okay! We just met at the iceberg today, that's all I know!" she screamed, her eyes glued to his. She couldn't control her fear. All her instincts said to get away from him, but she was glued to the chair. Her heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest. The sound drowning out her own heavy pants.

And just like that he turned away and out of the room, leaving Agatha to herself.


End file.
